When the story of my Pen and Paper began

The story of my pen and paper commenced when I learned to hold a pencil. It disappeared somewhere in-between, then re-emerged; because, good ideas never die, they sleep for just a night.

Traces of my writing skills continued to pop up at different stages of my life. After high school, I published articles in a magazine (The Nairobi Observer) and made money from copy-sales. Before completion of my bachelors degree program, I published poems in an Anthology (Boundless Voices: Poems from Kenya) and worked as a news reporter and features writer for a national daily publisher.

In between, I have lived a fulfilling and memorable life as a parent, member of a family and community; and the rewards are uncountable. I have read widely, an adventure that culminated in my specialization in Rural and Environmental Sociology.

I have work experience from Canada and countries of Eastern Africa. Working and learning with natural resources dependent communities on security of land tenure, household food security, gender in rural development, farmer initiated research, forestry and food security and rural-urban inter-dependencies, among other themes.

My unwavering interest and focus on people and their livelihoods has taken me places: I have traveled within countries of Africa without being called a tourist. I have climbed mountains called hills in Nepal and Thailand. Visited Bangladesh, to Vietnam where currency conversion made me an instant millionaire!

My first experience of winter was in the USA as a Cascadia Quest youth volunteer, then Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, The Netherlands, and historical Italy, among others. My next adventure was to the North Pole! On my way I made a stop over to acquire a well-kept secret, how to keep breathing at minus 40 degrees Celsius.